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Five minutes to midnight Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030204/ap_wo_en_po/un_gen_un_iraq_1 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030204/ap_wo_en_po/un_gen_un_iraq_1 Blix warns Iraq that it's "five minutes to midnight" and pleads for Iraq to produce evidence of weapons programs 1 hour, 35 minutes ago By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS - Warning Iraq that it's "five minutes to midnight," Chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix pleaded with the Iraqi government Tuesday to show that it is actively cooperating during his visit this weekend by producing evidence about its weapons programs. He told a news conference that Baghdad should take seriously U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte's warning that the diplomatic window is closing and the prospect of military action is looming. "I don't think that the end is there Ñ that a date has been set for an armed action," Blix said. "But I think that we're moving closer and closer to it, and therefore it seems to me that the Iraqi leadership must be well aware of that." But Blix said that so far the responses he has seen from the Iraqi government have not indicated that it is prepared to provide the critical information that he and nuclear inspection chief Mohamed ElBaradei are hoping for during their Feb. 8-9 visit to Baghdad. That visit takes place five days before their Feb. 14 report to the Security Council, which many diplomats consider to be critical in determining whether there will be war or peace in Iraq. "I'm pleading for Iraq to enter cooperation on substance," Blix said. "The essential point," he said, is for Iraq to assure inspectors and the Security Council "that it will actively seek and present any items or programs which are proscribed or else, if they are not there, to seek and present credible evidence for their absence." He suggested that the commission of inquiry that Iraq set up after inspectors discovered chemical warheads be given more power and be extended to search for biological weapons. Such a commission, he said, could "really look around the country and see what is hidden by whoever, and come up with it and also come up with a viable mechanism for providing evidence that they have not given us so far." "If they really give us hope that, yes, we'll have the same determination on the substance as they have undeniably been, largely, on the process Ñ that would be the best thing that we would come away with," Blix said. But he warned that time was running out, even though he and others have said they would welcome more time for inspections. "Isn't there five minutes to midnight in your political assessment?," he asked reporters. A reporter then asked whether that was Blix's assessment. "Well certainly," he said. "We all know that the situation is very serious."

Accuses spying { January 6 2003 } Blix accuses undermined inspectors { April 22 2003 } Blix attacks us war intelligence { April 22 2003 } Blix global warming bigger threat Blix iraq new cooperation { February 25 2003 } Blix no smoking gun { January 9 2003 } Blix report upbeat { March 8 2003 } Blix smeared by pentagon { June 11 2003 } Block inspections { September 20 2002 } Bush claims inspectors werent let in Bush not encouraging Bush refuses inspections { September 16 2002 } Capt.1038410395.mideast_iraq_un_lon109 [jpg] Cia sabotaged says democrats Dispute aluminum tubes { January 29 2003 } Doubts aluminum tubes { February 6 2003 } First inspections good Five minutes to midnight Inspect factory plant { December 4 2002 } Inspections get b Inspectors attack bush { December 6 2002 } Inspectors criticize cia data { March 8 2003 } Inspectors ordered out { March 17 2003 } Inspectors want 10 months { January 14 2003 } Iraq destroys missiles { March 1 2003 } Iraq dossier denies weapons { December 7 2002 } Iraq rejects plan { September 29 2002 } No nuclear threat { January 7 2003 } Perle doubts inspectors { November 13 2002 } Report undercuts us argument { January 28 2003 } Saddam supports inspectors Terrorist on un team { December 5 2002 } Un challenges bush progress { December 4 2002 } Un confirms missile destruction Us advises inspectors to leave { March 17 2003 } Us britian accuses blix { March 10 2003 } Us cite iraq breach Will fire spies Files Listed: 38

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